Sprocket-wheel.



No. 655,943. Patented Aug. I4, I900. E. S. WILLIAMSON.

sPnocKET, WHEEL.

(Application flled 1an. 10, 1900.)

(No Model.)

' A7TOHNEY6.

ELMER S; WILLIAMSON, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA.

SPROCKET-WHEEL.

SiPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 655,943, dated August14, 1900. Application filed January 10, 1900. Serial No. 948. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER S. WILLIAMSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSprocket-Wheels, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insprocket-wheels, and is particularly adapted for use upon bicycles orother machines for transmitting motion.

It is well known in the art of transmitting power and motion by chainsand sprocket devices that the wear of the chain upon the sprocket-teethgradually elongates the interior of the links of the chain, therebylengthening the links in the operation of the apparatus out of unisonwith the sprocket-teeth, and thereby impairing and finally destroyingthe working of the mechanism. 1 One object of my invention is to provideagainst this drawback to the most successful use of sprocket and chaindevices, and it comprises'certain novel means whereby I provide for there placement of the sprocket-teeth, so that as the chain-links elongateor wear away the teeth may be replaced to accurately compensate for suchlengthening of the links, and thereby maintain, unison and synchronismin the movement of the parts requisite to their successful operation. Iattain such object by providing the body of the wheel with a series ofwedge-shaped openings, in which are removably secured a-series ofsprocket-teeth which do not grip between the sidep'lates of the chain,but grip the sides of the center block of the chain.

A further object of my invention is to construct a sprocket wheel ofthis character which will be simple in its construction,

strong, durable, and efficient in its use, and

In describing the invention in detail ref erence is had to theaccompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, wherein like numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which vFigure 1 is a side View of my improved sprocket-wheel, partly in'section at the top thereof, showing the position of the chain inrelation thereto. Fig. 2 is a front plan view of my improved wheel,showing the arrangement of the teeth. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof,showing the position of the chain upon the wheel. Fig. 4 is a front viewof one of the sprocket-teeth. Fig. 5 is a side view thereof. Fig. 6 is asectional view thereof, taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of my improved teeth. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of a modified form thereof.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the body ofthe wheel, which is cast solid of any suitable metallic material and isbored at the center thereof, forming an opening 2 to permit of themounting of the same upon a suitable shaft or spindle. The periphery ofthe body portion of the Wheel is provided with a circumferential groove3 of the desired depth, forming at each side of the wheel the peripheralflanges 4 5, between which are arranged sprocketteeth. The wheel isfurther provided with a series of wedge-shaped openings near theperiphery thereof which extend through a portion of the flanges 4 5 aswell as the body of the wheel, and those openings, at one end thereof,are each provided with a transverselyextending key-groove to receive thekey (ifor securing the sprocket-teeth 7 in position when they aremounted in the openings and which are substantially wedge-shaped andprovided with a groove 8, registering with the keygroove, to receive aportion of the key 6 in the same manner as the key-groove.- These teethare each provided with a U shaped cutaway portion 9, forming retainingprojections 10 11 for the center block 12 of the chain.

13 indicates the side plates of the chain, which are pivotally connectedtogether by means of the chain-rivets 14.

It will be observed that the passage of the chain over the wheel is asfollows: The side plates thereof are arranged between a por tion of theteeth, while the center block engages between the retaining projections10 11 of the teeth.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 8 the inner faces ofthe retaining projections 1O 11 are each formed with a bearing tenon orshoulder 15, this shoulder bearing against the end of the side plates 13of the chain. This modified form is identical to the sprocket-teethheretofore referred to, with the exception of the bearing tenons orshoulders.

It will be observed by the arrangement of the sprocket-teeth in thewheel, as heretofore stated, that the chain when passing over the sameis not caught between the side plates for retaining it upon the wheel,but the retaining projections 10 11 engage the center block, as will beseen by referring to the drawings. This toa great extent prevents thewearing of the teeth as well as the side plates. It will also be evidentthat when one of the teeth is worn the same can be readily replacedWithout destroying the whole wheel. All that would be necessary would beto remove the key 6, force the tooth from the wheel, and replace a newone.

It is thought that the many advantages of my improved device can bereadily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that variouschanges may be made in the details of construction without departingfrom the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sprocket-wheel provided with a circumferential groove in itsperiphery and a series of transversely-extendingcircumferentially-arranged openings, and a sprockettooth secured in eachof the said openings, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. A sprocket-wheel consisting of a solid body portion provided with acircumferential groove in its periphery and a series ofsuitably-arranged openings, a sprocket-tooth mounted in each of the saidopenings, and means for securing said teeth in position, substantiallyas set forth.

3. A sprocket-wheel provided with a circumferential groove in itsperiphery and a series of suitably-arranged transversely-extendingopenings, a sprocket-tooth mounted in each of the said openings andprojecting in the said groove, and means for securing saidsprocket-teeth in position, substantially as described.

4. A sprocket-wheel consisting of a solid body portion provided with acircumferen-v tial groove in its periphery and a series oftransversely-extending circumferentially-arranged openings, asprocket-tooth mounted in each of said openings, and provided with apair of retaining projections adapted to engage the center block of achain, and means for securing the said teeth in position, substantiallyas described.

5. A sprocket-wheel provided with a pair of peripheral flanges and aseries of sprocketteeth secured in the said wheel and provided with apair of retaining projections extending between the said flanges andadapted to engage the center block of a chain.

6. A sprocket-wheel consisting of a solid body portion provided with apair of peripheral flanges and a series of circumferentiallyarrangedopenings, a sprocket-tooth mounted in each of the said openings andprovided with a pair of retaining projections extending between the saidflanges and adapted to engage the center block of a chain, and means forsecuring each of the said teeth in position, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with a solid body portion of a wheel provided withaseries of suitably-arranged openings, of a wedge-shaped sprocket-toothsuitably secured in each of the said openings and provided with a pairof retaining projections adapted to engage the center block of asprocket-chain, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a solid body portion of a wheel provided with aseries of suitably-arranged openings, of a wedge-shaped sprocket-toothmounted in each of the said openings and provided with a pair ofretaining projections and adapted to engage the center block of asprocket-chain, and a key securing each of the said teeth in position,substantially as described.

9. The combination with a solid body portion of a wheel provided with aseries of transversely-extending openings, of a sprockettooth mounted ineach of the said openings and provided with a pair of retainingprojections adapted to engage the center block of a sprocket-chain, andmeans arranged in said openings for securing said teeth in position,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ELMER S. XVILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. W. ARTHUR.

IIO

